Just one more minute
by BeccaLouise91
Summary: Ziva played with her necklace Tali chose for her. All she wanted was just one more minute with her daughter and Tony. An idea on what could have happened when Ziva reunited with Tony and Tali. Inspired after watching 17x01 and 17x02. One shot.


**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS**

* * *

Ziva sat up in bed, her breathing heavily. Another difficult dream. They weren't nightmares, or necessarily bad dreams, just difficult to have.

'Are you alright? I heard you make noises.' Ziva looked to her left and saw her five year old daughter, Tali standing in the doorway to Ziva's bedroom. Her pyjama top had zebras on it and Kelev was tucked under Tali's arm. Ziva smiled.

'Yes, Tali. I am alright.'

'Did you have a bad dream?' Ziva nodded. 'Shall I get Abba?' Ziva was sleeping in the spare bedroom. Tony wanted, needed and deserved space.

'No, that will not be necessary.' Silence fell. Tali stepped cautiously into the room a bit.

'Abba says that when you have a bad dream, you should tell someone.' Ziva smiled again.

'Do you tell Abba?' she asked. Tali nodded.

'We light candles for you, and Nana and Safta and Auntie Tali. Abba says that you take my bad dreams far away so they can't find me again.' Ziva chuckled slightly and made a mental note to thank Tony. He had told Tali about herself, his mother, her mother and sister. 'What happened in you dream?'

Ziva paused, unsure if she should tell Tali. Eventually she spoke.

'I was in a big crowd of people. I could not find you or Abba or anyone I knew, and I got scared and worried that I would not see you.' Ziva sniffed.

'Abba says you named me after Auntie Tali.'

'Yes, I did.'

'Why?' It was a genuine question from a five year old. Ziva thought for a moment.

'Auntie Tali was the best person I knew. Kind, caring and loved to laugh and sing. I want that for you.'

'Can you sing?'

'I am not bad. Nothing like Auntie Tali though.'

'Abba can't sing. He's terrible and gets the words in the wrong order.' Tali giggled. Ziva smiled. She suspected that Tony could sing well if he wanted to but messed up deliberately to make Tali laugh.

Tali had moved further into the bedroom and was in arm reaching distance for Ziva. When they had reunited five days ago in Paris, all Ziva wanted to do was hug Tali and never let her go. However, Ziva stopped herself. She didn't want to scare Tali in anyway. Tali had hugged her Ima though, and always said goodnight before going to bed. Tony, though, still did the bedtime story, Ziva hovering out of view but close enough so that she could hear every word.

It had been a trying few days and was only the start. Three years, Ziva had let Tony know that she was alive but was in danger, that she left to keep both Tony and Tali safe and hoped that one day they would be together. What neither Ziva or Tony had expected that it would be over three years before they saw each other again.

Tali reached out with her right hand towards Ziva's chest.

'You still have it.' She was pointing at the necklace. Ziva picked up the little gemstone and played with it.

'Yes, I do. You remember it?' She was surprised given how long ago it was and how young Tali was.

'I picked it for you' said Tali. She hadn't taken her eyes of the necklace. Slowly, she stepped closer to Ziva and reached out for the little gemstone. She moved even closer to Ziva, eventually resting against Ziva's legs. Ziva let out a sigh. For years, all she wanted was to hold Tali, her baby, again. Now that she finally had the chance, and she was never going to let it go, no matter what.

'I love you, Tali' whispered Ziva, as she stroked her daughters hair. Tali didn't respond. Ziva hadn't expected her to.

'Why did you leave?' asked Tali eventually. She was still sitting on Ziva's lap, playing with the gemstone.

'There were some bad people, Tali' explained Ziva, stroking Tali's curls. 'They wanted to hurt me, so I left to keep you and Abba safe.'

'Are they gone? The bad people.'

'Yes, they are gone.' Tali didn't say anything.

'Do you love Abba?' She looked up at Ziva, no longer playing with the gemstone. Ziva smiled.

'Yes, Tali. I love Abba, and you. I love you both so much.' Tali nodded slowly, as if processing the information she had just heard.

'Are you staying?' The question had such a finality to it. Ziva shifted Tali a little so they could see each other better and brushed hair out of Tali's eyes.

'Yes, Tali. I am staying with you and Abba. No matter what.'

'Good.' Ziva chuckled and hugged Tali again.

Tali gave a big yawn.

'Are you tired, motek?' Tali shrugged her shoulders. 'Let's go back to bed.'

Ziva led her five year old back to her bedroom and Tali climbed into bed. Tali had a very colourful bedroom with lots of animals and flowers on the wall. It was exactly what Ziva picked Tali's room to be.

Ziva bent down and kissed Tali on the forehead.

'Good night, little one' she said quietly. 'Sweet dreams.' Ziva tipped toed out of Tali's room as the little girl fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning was as the other mornings had been. It was a school day so everyone was up earlier than they wanted to be. Tony made pancakes that Tali and Ziva gobbled up. They got dressed, Tali in her school uniform. Tali went to a private international school in Paris and was in Kindergarten.

Tony was standing by the front door, holding a lunchbox and school bag, waiting for Tali. Ziva was leaning against a door frame, about to wave them bye.

'Tali, come on' he called. Tali came running out of her bedroom and took her bag from Tony. She beckoned Tony down. Tony crouched down to listen to his daughter. 'What is it?'

'Can Ima come to school with us?' she asked quietly. Tony smiled.

'Why don't you ask her?'

Tali went over to her mother and beckoned her down.

'Do you want to come to school with me and Abba?' she asked. Ziva smiled too.

'I would love to Tali.'

Five minutes later, the three of them were walking down the path towards Tali's school.

'Bye Tali' said Tony, kissing the little girl. Parents dropped off their children at a door to the building instead of the classroom.

'Bye Abba.' Tali hugged Tony, then turned to Ziva. 'Bye Ima.' She hugged Ziva.

'Bye motek. Have fun at school.' Tali went inside to her classroom.

Tony and Ziva smiled, and turned to leave. Ziva noticed several parents, mainly women, staring at them. Ziva glanced at Tony, who smiled and draped his arm around Ziva's shoulders. She was surprised, but didn't object. Instead, she wrapped her arm around Tony's waist and they walked towards home. Ziva had craved a hug from Tony just as much as one from Tali.

When they got home, Tony went to clear up breakfast. Ziva hovered in the entryway. Questions had filled her head on the walk back from school. Eventually she simply had to ask.

'What was that, Tony? Back in the playground.'

Tony put down the dish he was washing and turned to Ziva.

'OK, um, part of it was kind of a tactic to get the single moms at Tali's school off my back.' Ziva raised an eyebrow. 'It's common knowledge amongst parents that I am a single dad. It's not like I hate the attention, they just don't stand a chance.'

'A chance against what?' asked Ziva.

'Against you, Ziva.' Tony paused. 'I am furious with you, Ziva, for a lot of things. I think I will be for some time. But just because I am furious doesn't mean that I hate you or that I don't love you, because I do. I still love you, Ziva. Still wildly attracted to you, still want to be with you. What is it?' Ziva had a look on her face that Tony couldn't figure out.

'I am trying not to smile.'

'Why?'

'I do not want my hopes up. I love you, Tony.'

'I know. I overheard you and Tali talking last night.' Ziva gave a small smile and tentatively stepped closer to Tony.

'I love you, Tony, and I still want to be with you, too. I hope that you will be able to forgive me. I know it is impossible to put a time frame on something like that, but is wrong for me to hope that you will one day?' Ziva could feel tears start to form. Tony turned towards Ziva.

'No, it's not wrong for you to hope.'

He leant forwards and kissed Ziva's temple. Ziva sniffed and smiled. Tony turned back to the dishes and Ziva left.

* * *

Six hours later, Tony and Ziva stood in the playground waiting for Tali to come out of school. They had spent most of the day apart. Tony was a part time consultant for a security firm that worked with NGOs. It gave him an income but didn't take him away from Tali. Ziva was still getting used to not being on the run or undercover. Tony had pointed out to her that she could do anything she wanted, and that they were in a city that she loved.

The door opened and kids spilled out, going to their parents, thrusting school bags, lunchboxes and papers into waiting hands.

'Abba!' cried Tali, running over to them. She hugged Tony. 'Ima! You're here.' She hugged Ziva tightly.

'Of course I am here, motek. I am never leaving you again' whispered Ziva into Tali's ear. Tali laughed happily. Tony smiled and turned to Tali.

'Ice cream?' he asked, smiling. Tali nodded excitedly. Tony turned to Ziva. 'What about you? Want ice cream?' Ziva smiled.

'I would love some.' She offered her hand to Tali, who took and squeezed it tightly. It hurt a bit, but Ziva didn't care.

Tony bent down and picked up Tali's bag and lunchbox. He draped an arm around Ziva's shoulder, who wrapped her arm around his waist. They made their way out of the school campus and towards home, stopping off for three very large ice creams.

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**Hope you enjoyed reading. **

**I got this idea after watched the first two episodes of season 17. All Ziva wants is just one more minute with Tali and Tony. Ziva also doesn't explain if Tony knows she's alive, so I went with that she told him but kept her distance. I also think that Tony would eventually forgive Ziva, but that it would take some time. Months if not years. **

**Thank you for reading. **


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